weapon

American  

[wep-uhn] / ˈwɛp ən /

noun

weapons plural

1. any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon.

2. anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim.

   the deadly weapon of satire.

3. Zoology. any part or organ serving for attack or defense, as claws, horns, teeth, or stings.

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verb (used with object)

1. to supply or equip with a weapon or weapons.

   to weapon aircraft with heat-seeking missiles.

weapon British  

/ ˈwɛpən /

noun

1. an object or instrument used in fighting

2. anything that serves to outwit or get the better of an opponent

   his power of speech was his best weapon

3. any part of an animal that is used to defend itself, to attack prey, etc, such as claws, teeth, horns, or a sting

4. a slang word for penis

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superweapon
  noun
• outweaponed
  adjective
• unweaponed
  adjective
• weaponed
  adjective
• weaponless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• weapons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of weapon

First recorded before 900; Middle English wepen, Old English wǣpen; cognate with German Waffe, Old Norse vāpn, Gothic wēpna (plural)

Explanation

A weapon is something used to hurt someone. Soldiers use weapons like guns and even sometimes use "weapons of mass destruction" — like bombs. In school, the only weapon you should use is a spitball. A solider engaging in battle needs a weapon, as does a police officer defending herself against a violent attacker. Some weapons are specially designed for killing or injuring, such as guns and crossbows, while in other cases an ordinary object, like a stick, can be used as a weapon. The Old English root is wæpen, "instrument of fighting or defense." The spelling is tricky, and most people just have to memorize the ea in weapon.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

weapon weapons

Canadairs are a prime weapon in fighting blazes in rugged, often remote landscapes.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Fury's greatest weapon has always been his ability to expose hesitation, vulnerability and mistakes - and Joshua showed all three against Prenga.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The Kheibar Shekan missile is the workhorse of Tehran’s arsenal—a cheap, mobile, accurate weapon with a range of at least 900 miles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

And Judge Krause wrote that “circulation data reveals only how many units” of a weapon that companies have “pumped into the marketplace,” not how many people have used that weapon for self-defense.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

The Mark of Eden is on the Msaidizi, the weapon that made Roho nearly invincible.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Three new factories are set for just Arkansas, a center of U.S. weapons production.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

These weapons allow the US to conduct precision strikes against hardened military targets, such as command bunkers or fortified military facilities, without putting manned aircraft in harm's way.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The size of a tablet computer and attached to drones, the military-grade jammers can hinder Russian air defence systems from tracking and targeting such weapons in-flight, Downing Street said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Uranium enrichment can make fuel for both nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

The Foxtrots had never been known to carry nuclear weapons.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• cannon
• firearm
• gun
• knife
• machete
• machine gun
• missile
• nerve gas
• pistol
• revolver
• rifle
• shotgun
• sword
• tear gas